Rick and Morty vs The Multiverse
by Author of the Insane
Summary: In Dimension K-264, the entire Smith family was murdered except for a 2 year old Morty. Raised by Rick all his life, the two go on adventures while outrunning all the bounty hunters, Federation soldiers, and hostile aliens that want their heads. (The world was created by keary on deviantArt. Feel free to check her out. PS: She drew the picture)


_Dimension K-264, 12 years ago_

Somewhere in Washington, a small white suburban house sat quietly on a two way street. Its outside was covered in stucco with a pane glass window in the center and a divided window on the end, beneath a balcony. A satellite sat on its brown shingled roof. The wind whistled gently, and the warm summer air christened a great new day.

On the fresh sidewalk, a portal opened. A hand, covered in a black ichor, rose from the spinning green aether and grabbed the sidewalk. Pulling himself up, an old man with light blue hair stumbled to his knees. The second he was on the ground, he spun onto his back, aiming a bulky looking gun that was reminiscent of a Walmart scanner at the swirling green mass. With a quick shot, he hit the portal dead in the center, causing it to pop out of existence. Smiling, he laid on the ground before slowly closing his eyes and inhaling slowly. He raises his hands in the air, and furls his brow.

"You can't fucking kill me, you insect bastards!" he screamed up at the sky. "You hear me?! Nobody can fucking kill Rick Fucking Sanchez!"

After laying there for a second to catch his breath, he slowly sat up, laughing slightly as he wiped some blood from his lip. He left a black outline of his body, right down to the parts where his hair stuck out, in the spot where he'd been lying, but he ignored it for now. Dusting himself off and placing his hand on his knee, he took a deep sigh as the joy quickly ran from his face.

"Alright, time to rip this Band-Aid off." he declared to himself.

He stood up slowly before turning to the door, favoring his left side a bit. He ran his black ichor-covered hands through his matted hair, leaving streaks of black amongst the light blue. He then cleaned the remaining ichor off of his hands by wiping them on his blood covered lab coat. He took a deep breath as he approached the door, raising his hand to knock.

"Wonder if she remembers me." He thought aloud as he knocked three times.

The door opened as a blonde woman stood in the entryway, a bored expression on her face. However, once she laid eyes on Rick, her eyes began watering as she clutched the lining of her coat, the words 'Washington Health Institute' crumbling in her grip.

"Da- Dad?" She asked, her voice reduced to a whimper.

"Hey Sweetie." Rick spoke softly, giving a small smile as his hands snaked into his coat pockets. "How have you been? I haven't seen you in, what has it been-"

"Who is it Beth?" A voice interrupted from the kitchen, "Is it that pervert from next door? What's his name, Ge-?"

A man entered the living room, wearing a green polo shirt and his hair gelled back. He approached Beth, placing a hand on her shoulder. Once he got a good look at Rick, his eyes narrowed and his face became impassive and indifferent.

"Rick." He greeted coldly.

"Jerry." Rick replied in an equally hostile tone, his hand darting into his lab coat. "What the fuck are you doing in my daughter's house? I thought I told you that if I ever saw your face again-"

"Dad, who's at the door?" a small voice called out from the top of the staircase behind Beth and Jerry.

A small girl with red hair walked down, wearing a pink tank top and white pants. Rick looked in shock, then his fingers danced over a currently empty holster hidden under his armpit.

"Oh you have got to be Fu-"

"Dad! Not in front of OUR kids." Beth demanded, cutting off his cursing while simultaneously covering her daughter's ears.

Rick caught himself, letting out a small cough as he adjusted his coat.

"Sorry sweetie." he apologized. "I just never thought you'd actually marry this piece of-"

"Dad!" Beth exclaimed.

The little girl looked up at Rick, her face betraying the level of fear and discomfort he was putting her in. She scooted closer to her mom, clinging tightly to her pant leg as she tried to disappear into the fabric.

"Mom, who is the mean old man?" the little girl asked, peeking out from behind her mom's leg. "Is he here to kill us?"

"No Summer, he's not." Beth told her, petting the girl on the head before giving Rick a pointed look. "Are you?"

"I'm not making any promises, especially when it's about the idiot that knocked you up at 17, no offense to your daughter." Rick replied, holding up his hands.

"Dad!" Beth shouted.

"What can I say Beth, I'm not the one who contaminated our gene pool with HIS mediocrity." He pointed to Jerry, "You know, you're probably gonna have at least one retard kid now."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Jerry refuted,

"Guess I wasn't clear enough." Rick said, turning to Jerry. "Maybe if I spoke like Rain Man, you'd find it easier to understand."

"Dad!" Beth shouted, causing the argument to stop in its tracks.

By now, Summer was fully hiding behind Beth's legs, her eyes never leaving Rick. Rick noted this and sighed, realizing how quickly the mood of this reunion was plummeting. Figuring that it was the only way to get what he wanted, he sighed and rubbed the back of his head, ruffling the now dried ichor in it.

"Sorry Sweetie, sorry." Rick apologized, sighing as he lowered his hand. "I just need a place to crash for a night. Two tops."

"Uh uh! No, no way!" Jerry interrupted, pushing Beth out of the doorway. "Sorry Capote, but we don't have any room for you."

Jerry slammed the door in front of Rick, who just looked confused.

"Wow," Rick exclaimed, staring at the door with an annoyed expression. "What a fucking baby."

"Jerry, he's my dad!" Beth hissed from the other side of the door. "More than that, I haven't seen him in five years! I'm not kicking him to the curb!"

Jerry held up his hands in a pacifying gesture.

"Beth, come on." He said nervously, "You're dad wants to kill me, he hates my guts!"

"You got that right." Rick agreed, opening the door and shuffling inside. "By the way; next time you storm off, you may want to, oh I don't know, lock the door."

"Breaking and entering!" Jerry shouted as he hid behind Beth and pointing at Rick. "That's a Federal offense! At least, I think."

"Jerry, please." Beth said, placing her thumb and her index finger on the bridge of her nose. "Can't we just hear him out?"

"No, no, it's fine." Rick assured her, giving Jerry a pointed look. "I get where Brokeback Mountain is coming from."

Jerry's eyes went wide and he turned on Rick, pointing at the old man with an angry expression on his face.

"That was one time!" Jerry snapped, "And I was drunk, and I'm pretty sure I was roofied."

"Yeah, right. Pretty sure Viagra doesn't count as a roofie, but let's go with your story." Rick argued.

"Why I oughta-"

"Jerry stop!" Beth interjected, "Come on, one or two nights won't hurt."

"Beth, I won't be berated in our house! In front of our daughter!" Jerry argued.

"Oh boy, here we go." Rick groaned. "Can I at least sit down while you two have your shitty domestic fight? I'm pretty sure that my leg is broken and I need to set it before it gets infected and I'm forced to amputate it in front of your daughter."

Beth pushed Jerry out of the way of the door and wrapped her arm around Rick before walking him over to the couch. Setting him down, she walked out of the living room, leaving him alone with Jerry. Now even acknowledging Jerry's existence, Rick fished into the pocket on his lab coat and pulled out a syringe filled with light blue, semi translucent liquid. Jerry caught sight of it and turned to Rick in annoyance.

"Uh, what is that?" Asked Jerry, crossing his arms. "If you need medical attention, I can easily get a doctor."

"Jerry, first off all, the American Healthcare system is the only thing in this dimension that is a bigger joke than you are." Rick replied, flicking the tip of the needle as he adjusted of the syringe. "Secondly, this-" he jabbed the syringe into his leg, letting out a sigh of relief as he depressed the plunger. "Aw yeah. This is broken leg serum, and I don't have the time or the crayons to explain to you how this even works so just let me relax and you just go back to getting yelled at by my daughter. Just get me some popcorn so I can actually enjoy it as she outsmarts you again."

Once he had injected the entire syringe into his leg, there was a snapping sound, then his leg shifted a bit as the bone rebuilt itself. Rick let out a sigh of relief, tucking the syringe back in his pocket.

"About time, that was getting fucking annoying." he muttered as he pulled a flask from his coat.

He took a swig from his flask, downing the nearly lethal concoction of various alcohols he'd stored inside it. He let out a sigh as he leaned back, letting the buzz of alcohol dull any remaining pain he had.

"Dad," Beth said, reentering the room. "I cleaned out the boxes in the spare bedroom. You can stay there for the night."

"I can't believe you are actually considering letting him stay here!" Jerry shouted. "He disappears for five years and then shows covered in God knows what-"

"For your information, Jerry." Rick belched, "What I do and where I go is my own business. It's called living a life, maybe you should try it. Continue."

"I don't care!" Jerry snapped before returning to Beth. "I don't want him around Summer, and I definitely don't want him around Morty!"

Rick sputtered.

"Morty?" he shouted. "Beth, you're telling me you actually fucked this moron twice?! I mean, I understand the drunken one-night stand with a cheerleader, Beth, but twice?"

"The proper term is cheer person." Jerry rebutted.

"The proper term is cheerleader, and that makes you equal or less than equal to a well-trained dog with less hair." Rick belched yet again.

Beth just sighed, rubbing her temple in annoyance.

"Look Jerry, he just came back into my life and you want to grab him and stuff him under a mattress like last month's Victoria's secret?!"

"I told you I was ordering you something for Valentine's Day." Jerry said in his defense. "More importantly, your father is a horrible influence on anyone with the misfortune of crossing his path!"

Rick just groaned, leaning back in the couch and taking another swig from his flask. As he closed the flask again, he happened to look back at the staircase, where a small boy was sitting. He had short brown hair and was wearing a yellow T-shirt under a pair of overalls.

"Uh, sweetie?" Rick called out. "Your, uh, spawn. He's looking at me."

This time, Beth turned towards Rick, her eyes locking onto the boy on the staircase. Her eyes went wide as she ran over to him, plucking him off the stairs.

"Mortimer Smith, what are you doing on the stairs?" she asked. "You're supposed to be taking a nap."

"Too loud." Little Morty replied, rubbing his eye a bit as he yawned.

Beth sighed, then walked back over to the couch and handed Morty off to Rick.

"Dad, could you look after Morty while Jerry and I talk?" she asked.

Rick groaned loudly before awkwardly grabbing Morty under the armpits as Beth turned back to Jerry. Needless to say, Jerry was less than thrilled at Beth's actions.

"What?! Now you're handing our son to the man who abandoned you!?"

"Are you serious, Jerry?!" Beth screamed. "This again?!"

As the two went at it some more, moving their argument into the kitchen for some privacy, Rick just staring at the small 2 year old in his hands.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?" he asked, his eyes never leaving the kid.

Morty looked at Rick, a finger in his mouth as he met Rick's stare. Rick just sighed and looked at the kid.

"Alright you little twerp." he declared. "I'm your grandpa Rick, and I'm gonna be staying here for a few days."

"Gampa Rick?" Morty repeated.

"Yeah." Rick replied, pulling Morty a bit closer before plopping him on his lap. "Now that we got that out of the way, it's time to lay down some rules."

"Gampa Rick." Morty repeated, a smile playing on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, we established that already." Rick grumbled. "Now listen, the first rule is-"

Rick was cut off by Morty leaning forward, hugging Rick around the neck, cooing slightly as he did. Rick felt the words die on his tongue as he hesitantly lifted his hands to gently return the hug.

"Gampa Rick." Morty repeated for the third time, burying his head in Rick's neck.

Rick looked down at Morty and released a heavy sigh.

"Well shit." he cursed, though he didn't seemed annoyed or angry.

Pulling Morty back, Rick met the boy's gaze, though his face was a bit softer.

"I wonder if you're old enough for ice cream." He voiced.

Morty giggled a bit, clapping his hands as his face broke into a complete smile. Rick somehow found himself smiling slightly, something he hadn't done since Beth was a little girl.

"I'll take that as a yes." he decided, scooping up Morty in one arm so he could use his other to help him stand up. "I know the best place, a little known spot called Halley's"

Using his free hand, Rick reached into his lab coat and pulled out his portal gun and pointed it at the wall.

"Alright kid, this won't take more than a week." He said as he fired the gun, creating another portal on the wall. "Two tops. Unless, I don't know, something happens. Then who knows."

Rick then stowed the gun, adjusting his grip on Morty as he carried him off into the green aether. The portal had just closed as Jerry and Beth wandered back into the living room.

"Why are you mad at me, Beth?! This is all your dad's-" Jerry froze, as he looked at the empty room. "Rick?"

Beth's eyes went wide as she realized both Rick and Morty had just vanished. She went pale as she gripped the wall.

"No, not again." she muttered fearfully.

"Morty? Morty!" Jerry shouted as he flipped the couch over in a panicked frenzy. "Beth! Where's Morty!?"

…..

Rick sat in the driver's seat of a small, homemade space cruiser that he'd had built some time ago. It was obviously made out of various bits of scrap metal, and the floorboards were littered with empty bottles of beer and quite a few squashed cans. Now, those bottles and cans were accompanied by empty Halley's ice cream bowls, each with a different flavor labeled on the side.

In Rick's lap, currently covered in various ice cream stains, was young Morty. The little boy was giggling wildly, no doubt due to the overabundance of sugar he'd consumed. Rick chuckled at the boy's antics, ruffling his hair.

"You're a derpy little hell spawn, ain't ya?" He joked as he booped Morty's nose. "Ain't ya?"

Morty giggled as he clutched the bowl in his lap, thrusting his hands into it and shoveling the slightly melted frozen treat into his mouth. Rick just chuckled, turning his attention back to the vastness of space he was currently flying them through. Suddenly, a small UFO shaped earpiece clipped to his ear began to vibrate, as well as an alien cell phone tucked into his pocket.

"What do you wanna bet it's either a telemarketer or your mom?" Rick questioned, looking down at Morty.

Morty just giggled some more, waving ice cream covered hands happily. Rick smirked down at him as he pressed a button on the earpiece, connecting to his phone.

"Hey, it's Rick. If this is a telemarketer, I'll let you know that-"

"Dad? Dad!?" Beth's voice interrupted

"Hey Sweetie." Rick replied. "Listen, I'm-"

"Dad, where's Morty? It's been a month." Beth spoke nervously, "Is- is he safe?"

"Of course he's safe sweetie." Rick replied. "You think I'd let anything happen to the little urchin?"

"Dad please, could you just give us our son back?" Beth practically begged.

"Sorry sweetie." Rick replied. "Can't do that. Morty said the word 'Saturn' so I'm gonna show him a REAL ring, unlike Jerry. Besides, he's safer with me than at your house. You know nearly 6,000 deaths a year happen in your own home-"

"Rick, you need to bring our son back this instant, or I am calling the police!" Jerry threatened.

"Oh I'm so scared. What are they gonna do to me, I'm in fucking space!"

"Rick, you bring him back this instance or-" Jerry's voice cracked,

"Jerry, Jerry. I'm gonna stop your tantrum there and ask you very politely to fuck off and do something with that Civics degree you got. Oh wait you can't, because it's CIVICS!"

The phone clicked as Morty looked at Rick, confused. His head cocked and covered in ice cream.

"Gampa Rick." His voice murmured, "Stars."

"Well, that's a bit ambitious. But if you insist." Rick grabbed the stick shift of his car and smiled. "Let's shoot for the stars!"

The car zoomed forward as Rick flipped a switch, then turned a knob, hit a whole row of switches and watched as a large trigger mechanism appeared from behind a large yellow and black panel. Gripping it tightly, a green beam shot from the front of the car opening a portal.

"Hang onto your butts! Morty!" Rick said, leaning forward and narrowing his eyes, "Here we - urp - we go!"

The car rocketed forward into the portal, both vanishing in an instant. The silence of space only lasted a few moments as a large ship exited from hyperspace. It was deep olive green with blinking red lights, greenish flames erupting from the boosters as it approached the frozen comet.

A large insect like creature stared at the comet with steely gaze, his red eyes narrowing on approach. The radio crackled slightly as the creature sighed, before grabbing the radio.

"Frank, seriously." He said, "Dude, speak English. That crackling thing you do is not only annoying, it hurts my ears."

A long silence permeated the radio.

"Sorry, Gerald."

"Thank you, I'm on approach to Halley's Comet." Looking back at the comet. "He's definitely been here. His sign is all over."

A giant, seemingly laser carved 'F*** YOU FEDS' showed on the side of the comet as it tumbled through space.

"He may have escaped the Glamflorian Penal Colony, but he will not escape me."

He landed in the comet parking lot, smiling in his weird, alien way.

"Gerald out." He declared before climbing out of the ship and making his way to the door.

The doors to the ice cream parlor opened with a pneumatic hiss, Gerald entered with his hand on his pistol. The whole cafe was made with black steel walls, pictures of bizarrely colored ice cream flavors lined the walls. A crystalline creature entered from the back room, his face in a smile.

"Howdy howdy, friendo!" He waved, his outfit resembling a 1950s ice cream scooper. "What flavor can I getcha? We just got a shipment of Nexus Green!"

"No need, I'm here for." Gerald looked left then right, before leaning on the glass of the counter. "The good stuff."

The ice creature's face went somber, before looking around the room. He cleared his throat, a cloud of frozen air shrouding his face.

"Howdy howdy everyone! Ha ha!" He walked around the counter, waving his arms. "Sorry to sadden your joy, but- h'oh boy, it's already closing time. Ha ha!"

The various aliens looked at him, not moving and some slurping their milkshakes. The creature turned somber again before having his hand erupt into a large spiked club.

"I said get the fuck out!" He shouted before smashing a table.

The aliens scampered out, trampling one before closing the doors. The ice creature then walked to the door and slowly locked the door, sighing as the sign changed to "You're Too Late - Tough Luck Buddy!"

The once high pitched voice of the creature deepened immensely as he turned to Gerald.

"Look, I joined the Federation to keep my family safe and-"

"Don't worry Ikscram," Gerald replied, his hands gesturing him to calm himself. "I'm not here to kill you. At least, I don't plan to."

His hand lowered onto the pistol.

"I'm just here to talk about a customer."

"Which customer, because I kinda just chased them all out."

"You may remember him, Ikscram." Gerald reached behind him, pulling out a picture of Rick on a police lineup. "Rick Sanchez?"

Ikscram gulped, giving a shake of the head.

"Sorry man, ain't seen him." he replied. "If he came in, then it wasn't on my shift."

"Ikscram, Ikscram, Ikscram" He then placed the picture behind him, and held out a video. "What would your family say about you lying to me?"

Ikscram's eyes hollowed, his mouth a gap.

"Look, okay! Okay!" He stepped forward, Gerald pulling out his pistol at the sudden movement. "He came in not too long ago. He came to give me the money for a… service I provided him awhile back."

"Service?" Gerald stepped forward, "I am assuming you don't mean this delicious ice cream then."

"Well, yes and no." Ikscram replied. "He paid me for the service, and he also bought a tub of each flavor of ice cream. All 74 of them, though he did get double of the Mega Fruit Salad."

"That's a lot to fit in one car." Gerald's voice deepened, his finger reaching for his earpiece. "He's not being cooperative, execute them."

"No wait!" Ikscram begged. "He wasn't alone!"

"Stop the order"

"L-look." Ikscram stammered. "He had this… this kid with him."

"Kid?" Gerald looked away "Sanchez has no living family. He's a loner."

"I'm telling the truth. The kid kept calling him Grandpa."

"Grandpa?" Gerald's eyes widened, "He has a family."

Gerald turned to Ikscram, pointing his pistol at him.

"Tell me where they came from, I know you have a gamma ray detection system here for non-paying customers!"

"Rick disabled it." Ikscram admitted, gesturing to a sparking and blackened gamma ray detector dangling haphazardly on the wall. "Look, I've done everything I could to help, but Rick doesn't trust anyone, even me."

"Well then, you and your family are no longer useful to us." Gerald reached for his earpiece again. "Initiate Operation Omega 4. Total Cleansing."

He then pulled the trigger, the beam of heat shot straight into Ikscram's forehead. He slowly melted, screaming as the earpiece also screamed with numerous voices.

"Where art thou, Rick Sanchez."

…..

Rick's portal opened up in to Sontaran star fields, micro stars floating around like insects lighting the whole expanse of space in a rainbow of colors. Morty touched the ground and began floating, his face lit up as he tried swimming in space. Rick placed his hands in his pockets as he leaned back against the car.

"There you go Morty, the stars. Now go work off all that sugar so Grandpa can plan our trip to Saturn."

Morty cheered, then continued to splash around in the pool of stars, tossing them into the air like confetti as he did. Rick smirked, leaning against the door of the car and pulling out his flask.

"Maybe I'll show him Froopyland after this." Rick thought aloud. "Bet he'll love that place."

As Morty continued to play about, a vibrating sensation came from Rick's pocket. The sensation brought him from his trance as he pulled out a small device with the word 'IKSCRAM' carved at the top. A flashing light stopped abruptly, Rick sighed before dropping the device and stomping on it.

"Well." He tried to think of something morbidly poetic, "That blows."

"Gampa!" Morty called, "Gampa, Saturn?"

"Saturn may have to wait, Morty." Rick told him, plucking him out of the stars. "Grampa got a call from a friend and thinks we should visit, uh, I don't know. Uh, how's the Paraplaxian Nebula sound?"

"Yay!" Morty cheered, oblivious to the worried look on Rick's face.

"Alright! Let's get this show rolling!" He walked towards the car, Morty under his arm. "Next stop-"

"Pwarafac-, pleraflas-" Morty put his hand in his mouth, unable to say the name.

"Yup, that's right Morty." He shifted the car into gear, "Far, far away."

Without another moment to lose, Rick climbed back into the car, gunning the engines and blasting off into space.

…..

The ship reappeared at a bright red planet with yellow and purple clouds. A city that stretched out for miles. Banners and scrap metal housing with hooded and cloaked figures walked all about. The car landed in a dark alley, allowing for Rick and Morty to slip out and into the large crowd of people unnoticed. Eventually, they reached a small opening between a large building with a flashing neon sign that read "LIVE HUMAN! ALL YOU CAN EAT!" and a group of ramshackle housing with a banner that said "YOU CELL, WE BYE! CHEEP!" with a large bird person standing at the entrance.

"Gampa?" Morty said nervously. "Scawy."

"I know Morty, but there's someone here that Grandpa needs to see, so just stay close, got it?"

"Rick Sanchez" The Bird Person said, his arms crossed. "I see you escaped, I am pleased that you were not betrayed."

"Bird Person! My man!" Rick held his free hand up, to which Bird Person lightly tapped. "Is he inside?"

"Yes, and he has been expecting you."

"Excellent, come on Morty!"

"Bird!" Morty declared, pointing at Bird Person with a smile.

Bird Person looked down at Morty, his expression never changing.

"Rick, you were not with this hatchling when you were rescued from the Penal Colony. Is it yours?"

"Bird, meet Morty." Rick gestured between the two, "He's my kid's kid. I don't know what that is to you."

"The hatchling of your hatchling." Bird Person replied. "I was unaware that your hatching had spawned."

"Oh right, you never met Beth. You should, I think you guys would get on like a house on fire."

"That sounds dangerous."

"Never change Bird." He adjusted his grip on Morty, "Come on, let's meet the big man himself."

They walked into the ramshackle house, it was dark and the walls groaned as they approached a lit room at the end of the hall. A laughter filled the room as Morty pushed himself into Rick's arms.

"Scawy."

Rick pushed the screen door open and saw an orange, cleanly combed cat-like creature in a suit sitting on a bed with two female aliens. One was seven feet tall with one eye, the other was shorter with 3 eyes and glowing green hair.

"Rick!" The cat called out, lifting a martini glass with a bubbling green drink in it. "How've ya been, ya big squanch!"

"Squanchy!" Rick shouted, "Been pretty good since getting out of prison!"

"Yeah, about that." Squanchy rubbed the back of his head, "Look, you have to understand, it was you or the squanch!"

"Squanchy, squanchy." Rick held his free hand up, "Water under the bridge."

Squanchy sighed.

"Thanks Rick, you have no squanching idea how much this squanches to me."

"Squanch?" Morty asked, looking at the strange cat.

"You little brat! My mother was a saint!" He jumped up, his fingers in claws "I'll rip your squanching eyes out!"

"Squanchy, he didn't mean it like that." Rick replied, pulling Morty closer and out of reach of Squanchy. "He's like two."

Squanchy stopped, his hands shaking as he step back.

"Sorry, sorry, ain't got my Kalaxian Crystals yet." The sweat stains became a bit more apparent, "Gotta get my fix you know."

"Squanchy, Rick and his hatchling's hatching are here for an important reason." Bird Person interjected.

"Right, Right. Sorry." Squanchy walked over to a large desk before getting up into the large leather chair. "Squanch anywhere, boys."

The two sit down, Morty still clinging to Rick lab coat.

"I'll just come out and say it, Ikscram's dead." Rick announced.

"Get the Squanch outta town, he's so deep in the Federation's pocket, he might as well be blowing them!"

"I agree, this is highly improbable." Birdperson commented

"Well, that tracker that I slipped into his Floop juice just went offline, and we all know that only happens when the host is completely destroyed." Rick replied. "And that means he probably sold us out, and we probably need to skip town."

"Squanch" Squanch swore under his breath, "Fine, but we better squanching hurry. Last time we waited, well, we all remember what happened to Flogusborg."

Birdperson's wings shivered a bit, a few feathers fluttering to the ground. Rick just held Morty closer. Then, a voice boomed over the whole city and the whole building shook.

"Rick Sanchez, come out with your hands and or tentacles up!" the voice demanded.

"Squanch! You brought them right to us!"

"I did no such thing! You know damn well that they can't track me!"

"It matters not how they found us, they did, and now we must flee." Birdperson interjected

"Bird's right, to Squanch with the Federation." He reached under the desk, pulling out a large case. "If we squanch, we squanch together!"

He opened the case, revealing a number of laser and plasma weapons.

"Pick your squanch, and lets squanch!"

Birdperson then grabbed what looked like a baby carrier you can wear off the wall, handing it to Rick.

"You will need both of your hands if you are to fight, and I know you do not want to leave your hatchling's hatchling behind."

Rick nodded, allowing Bird Person to help him into it, plopping Morty into it as well. With his grandson secured, Rick looked down at the weapons, a snarl escaping his lips as he turned away from them.

"These won't do." he declared. "We need the big guns."

Squanchy's eyes went wide as he turned to Rick.

"But Rick, you gotta be squanching!" He exclaimed. "We'll never get to them in time, we're gonna get squanched for sure!"

"I'll distract them, just get the goddamn big guns!" Rick screamed.

Rick tightened the straps on the baby holder, making sure it was secured to his back before looking back at Morty, who was looking around a bit confused.

"Alright Morty, usually I hate annoying sounds, but thankfully these Federation assholes have this thing about kids, so I need you to be as loud and obnoxious as you can." Rick told him. "Can you do that for grandpa?"

Morty nodded, giving Rick a stern look and a smile. Rick took that as an affirmative and took a deep breath.

"Alright, let's do this shit."

Rick raised his hands in the air, walking out of the building.

"Alright asshats, you got me." he declared in a deadpan voice, getting on his knees and placing his hands behind his head. "Give yourself a pat on the back, you fucking dipshits."

"Rick Sanchez!" One of the insects said, approaching with his rifle aimed towards Rick, "You are under arrest under…"

He looked back to another insect wearing a number of medals and badges, who looked at an electronic clipboard. He swiped up on it continuously, his bugeyes narrowing as he did. Eventually, the bug just made a circle with one of his appendages. The one holding the rifle blinked in surprise, then quickly recovered, shoving the rifle against Rick's forehead.

"-Every...Every! Article of Federation Law." the bug finished, still trying to look brave and in control.

On Rick's back, Morty looked over his grandpa's shoulders, seeing the gun against his head and the bugs slowly moving in. His eyes began to water slowly as a soft hiccupping sob escaped his lips. That small sound was enough to draw the insect's attention from Rick to Morty.

"What the-?" The bug muttered as Morty's lip began to tremble and Rick slid his hands over his ears. "What are you-?"

Morty screamed loudly, tears rolling down his face. The insect gripped his head, the rifle dropping to the ground. Rick smirked, grabbing the rifle and turning it on the Federation.

"Come and get me, bitches!" Rick screamed over Morty.

The rifle's end glowed with a yellow orb of light before exploding the soldiers head.

"Open fire!" one federation soldier shouted.

About that time, something came flying out of the shack, flying in front of Rick and connecting with his chest. It then began unfolding itself, covering Rick in this thick, metal armor that even slid under Morty's carrier. Rick laughed loudly, dropping the rifle as twin ion cannons formed around his hands.

"Oh yeah!" He shouted, "About time Squanchy!"

"Squanch you all!" Squanchy declared as he came flying out, wearing a jetpack and holding a laser rifle.

He took aim, the scope tracked four soldiers, and then he pulled the trigger. Four blue orbs flew and instantly, the four insects were turned to ash as Birdperson walked out, wearing armor matching Rick's.

"Let's light these motherfuckers up!" Rick shouted.

Both Birdperson and Rick began opening fire, mauling down dozens of the bugs as Squanchy joined them. Soon, the three of them were back to back to back, forming a deadly circle of ion blasts. Morty had stopped screaming by this point and was instead laughing happily. Unfortunately, even with all the bugs they were mowing down, more were coming to replace them.

"Squanch!" Squanchy swore. "There's too squanching many! We gotta squanch outta here!"

"You scram!" Rick demanded. "I ain't leaving until all these dipshits are smears on the sidewalk!"

"We cannot leave you and your hatchling's hatchling." Birdperson argued.

"You can and you will, now go!"

Rick ran ahead, planting a small diamond like device on the side of a large Federation vessel. Seeing the device, both Squanchy and Birdperson dove for cover much to the surprise of the bugs. However, that surprise was quickly replaced with looks of abject terror as Rick pressed some buttons, giving the bugs a double middle finger salute.

"Eat it motherfuckers!"

He then turned away just as the entire ship exploded, sending bits of burning shrapnel everywhere. Rick looked back, grinning maniacally at the pile of incinerated and badly charred bodies now littering the ground.

"That should give those two time to get away." Rick declared, glancing over his shoulder at Morty. "You alright back there you little turd?"

Morty laughed, clapping happily. Rick smirked, then turned back.

"Come on kid, let's raise some hell."

He turned off the suit, removing it and sending it off into the sky as a decoy, allowing Rick a chance to escape with Morty unimpeded. Unfortunately, not all of the Federation bugs were fooled by Rick's flying suit. Gerald watched Rick make his way through the bazaar, setting up a powerful rifle with expert precision.

"Rich Sanchez… the smartest being in the universe." Gerald commented, his eyes never leaving Rick even as he set up the gun. "You really shouldn't have ditched the suit."

Considering the chaos caused by the earlier fight, there was a large crowd gathered about the small shop, providing plenty of cover for Rick and his wayward grandson. They managed to disappear down an alley, right where Rick had hidden the car.

"Alright, I think it's time to visit Saturn Morty." Rick announced, pulling Morty from the carrier. "We'll be there before you can say-"

That's when a shot whizzed past Rick's head, clipping the wall next to him.

"Ah, Rick Sanchez. We meet again." Gerald declared from the roof above Rick.

Rick looked up, watching as Gerald jumped down from the edge of the roof, landing right in front of Rick. He aimed the large laser rifle right at Rick as the man hugged his Grandson closer.

"I've been waiting for you." Gerald told him. "You really should get a less conspicuous vehicle."

"Sorry, do I know you?" Rick questioned, his eyebrow furrowing. "All you shitmunchers look the same to me."

Gerald's eye twitched slightly.

"First of all, that's racist." He chastised as stepped a bit closer, "Secondly, you may know me as Valkatorian Gerald, your death."

"Wow… My death." Rick said in the most unimpressed voice ever. "Do you even realize how lame that sounds? Geez, I've heard Saturday night cartoons with better lines then you."

Gerald's eye twitched again, his mandibles clicking slightly in annoyance. Then, he took a deep breath, calming himself down.

"I guess you're right, Mr. Sanchez." Gerald allowed, his voice an unnatural calm that set off alarm bells in Rick's mind. "I do sound like a common villain."

He pulled the trigger, the laser firing straight into Morty's chest. Morty screamed in agony as a blood stain formed around the huge burn. Rick immediately pulled Morty closer, bringing his hand down on the wound to try and staunch the bleeding as quickly as he could.

"How about now, Mr. Sanchez?" Gerald questioned, his tone still that same eerie calm, as if he was just having a pleasant conversation rather than watching a small boy bleed out. "Do I seem like a common villain now?"

"You fucking bitch!" Rick screamed, still trying desperately to help Morty and get close enough to the car to make a break.

"Ah, ah, ah, Rick." Gerald warned as he relit his rifle, "One wrong move and you're little - screech thing, won't be screeching much longer."

Rick froze, letting out an animalistic growl.

"Damn you..." he sneered.

"So, why don't we go for a little trip? I believe you've been to our newest penal colony." He smirked, "We've made it better since the last time you've been there."

"Yeah, well fuck you and your stupid colony!" Rick snapped. "Look, do whatever the hell you want, but you better heal Morty right this second!"

"Why do you care for this small -thing, I suppose- Mr. Sanchez? You don't care for anyone. You only care for yourself."

"I dunno." Rick replied honestly, "Maybe after all these years as an unfeeling ghost I finally decided to give a fuck. Maybe I've formed some weird connection with him. Maybe I think he'll be useful to me one day. Whatever the case, I care."

"How touching." Gerald replied, training the gun on Morty, "I guess that makes my job so much easier."

"Perhaps," Rick admitted, a plan finally coming together. "But first, I have three words for you."

"What's that, Mr. Sanchez?"

Rick grinned maliciously.

"Ship, protect Morty."

A loud honking sound echoed from behind Rick, causing Gerald to jump on reflex. Mechanical arms came out, grabbing the gun from Gerald's hand, a laser melting it into nothing. While Gerald dealt with that, Rick wasted no time jumping inside, slamming the door shut.

"Autopilot, earth! NOW!" Rick screamed as he clutched Morty.

The car lurched forward, hitting Gerald hard and running him over before taking off into the sky. With the car focused on getting home, Rick could focus on Morty. The boy was still crying loudly, his chest showing a deep burn which would leave a large scar.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Rick exclaimed. "That fucking piece of shit eating-"

He reached for the glove box, rummaging around through various drug bags and fake passports before finally grabbing onto a test tube wrapped in duct tape.

"This better fucking work..." he growled as he yanked the cork out of the test tube with his teeth, pouring a silvery liquid onto Morty's wound.

The silver liquid quickly seeped into Morty, the blood slowly reversing its flow, going back into the boy. Then, the wound slowly began to close, the burned skin returning to a normal, fleshy color. Morty's cries slowly died away, a sure sign that the pain had faded as well. Rick let out a sigh of relief, leaning back against the headrest in sheer exhaustion.

"Damn those bugs..." he swore.

Morty looked up at Rick, his face still red from crying and a few tears still fresh on his face. He then leaned into Rick, giving the man a gentle hug. Rick slowly wrapped an arm around him, his eyes never leaving the roof of his car.

"Morty… I'm taking you home." he declared.

"Gampa Rick?" Morty questioned.

"This life ain't for something as tiny and exposed as you." Rick argued. "And frankly, you'll just get in my way like you did today. It'll just be easier if you go home, live some shitty mundane lifestyle, go to school, masturbate to porn, and fall head over heels for some hot redhead who will never notice you, that kind of adult swim kinda life."

Morty just snuggled closer to Rick, closing his eyes as he started to fall asleep. Rick just looked down, sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It'll be easier for everyone."

…..

In the Smith household, both Beth and Jerry were in the middle of yet another argument. Things between to two of them had gotten tense since Rick had taken Morty, and all of their arguments inevitably led back to that particular incident.

"Beth, I can't believe we're still having this conversation!" Jerry shouted, "Rick kidnapped our son and took him off to God knows where! If I ever see him again, I'm going to call the police!"

"Morty is fine with my dad!" Beth argued, though even she had to admit it was a flimsy argument. "He's a super genius, one who can get out of anything!"

"Including being a father!" Jerry snapped. "Look Beth, your father is a terrible person, a criminal, and frankly he should be locked up in some mad house with all the other Dr. Frankensteins and Dr. Jekylls and…. Well any other crazy scientist that needs to be locked up!"

"Oh yeah, that's a good idea." Rick's voice chastised. "Place all the mad scientists in a building together where they can discuss, plan and eventually take over. Excellent idea Jerry."

Both Beth and Jerry turned to see Rick coming through the front door, a sleeping Morty in his arms.

"Dad!" Beth shouted, though her voice seemed more relieved than angry.

"Morty!" Jerry exclaimed, yanking his son from Rick's hands.

"Yeah, you can have the little turd back." Rick told him, crossing his now free arms. "Was nothing but a pain in the ass. I'm remembering now why I adventure alone."

Jerry looked over Morty, examining him for any wounds. When he saw the large circular scar on Morty's chest, his eyes went wide.

"What the hell did you do to our son?!" Jerry demanded.

Rick let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Beth, sweetie, take your spawn from the idiot."

Beth looked at Rick in confusion, then took Morty from Jerry. No sooner had the boy left Jerry's grip, Rick pulled out a small gun, shooting Jerry. A dart embedded itself in his neck, sending the man tumbling to the ground instantly unconscious.

"Dad, what the hell?!" Beth screamed, hugging Morty closer to her.

"It's been a real shitty day and I just don't have the patience to deal with that whiny piece of shit." Rick replied bitterly, stuffing the gun back in his coat. "Look, you got your spawn back, and now you don't have to deal with me ever again."

"But what about Jerry?!" Beth demanded.

"He's not dead." Rick assured her. "The sedative will wear off in an hour, and by then, I'll be gone and you two can return to your normal failing marriage,"

Beth let out a sigh of relief as Rick turned and walked out, his hands in his pockets. He stopped outside of the doorframe, letting out another sigh.

"Look, for what it's worth… he ain't that bad of a kid." Rick said, not looking back. "Don't let Jerry turn him into some spineless weakling."

With that, he climbed into his ship, taking one last look at the house as Beth closed the door. He then scoffed, forcing himself to look away as the ship rose into the air, taking off into the sky.

…..

Gerald stood in the observation room of the Federation headquarters, looking through a pane of one-sided glass. On the other side of the glass, Squanchy was pacing back and forth, running his claws through his fur as he muttered to himself. His head kept twitching as he continued pacing, not stopping for a second. Gerald couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Sir, what's going on with him?" a bug asked Gerald, eying Squanchy confused.

"Mr. Squanchy here used a powerful performance enhancing drug to try and ensure his escape." Gerald explained. "We captured him after it wore off, but the effects are devastating. He's coming off the high now, and will do anything for something to dull the pain. Even give up his allies."

After another minute, Squanchy was beginning to shake all over. He was forced to sit down, his legs robbed of any strength he had left. He hugged himself, feeling both freezing cold and burning hot at the same time. Gerald smirked.

"He's ready to talk now."

He walked out of the observation room, making his way into Squanchy's room. The alien cat flinched hard as the door opened, his eyes bloodshot and his breath raspy. Gerald then walked over to the lone table in the room, sitting opposite of Squanchy. He rummaged through his coat, pulling out a tiny orange bottle that was filled with a sparkling pinkish-purple dust.

"Hello Mr. Squanchy." Gerald greeted, placing the bottle in front of him.

Squanchy's eye twitched, going from Gerald to the bottle. He pointed a shaky claw at it.

"Wh-Wh-what the s-s-squanch is tha-that?" Squanchy stuttered, unable to keep his voice even.

"My men found it when they raided your hovel." Gerald explained. "Kalaxian crystal dust, according to our lab techs. Highly powerful stuff. It should be powerful enough to help you with your… problem."

Squanchy reached for it, only for Gerald to pull it out of reach.

"Of course, it's also highly illegal, and giving it to you would violate dozens of Federation regulations." Gerald continued. "So, if you want it, you'll have to give me something in return."

Squanchy looked at the bottle desperately, then forced his hand back.

"I-I ain't t-tellin' ya squanch..." He replied, his suave accent gone in place of a cruder one.

Gerald just chuckled.

"Come now Squanchy, I'm not asking for much. All I want is the whereabouts of Rick Sanchez."

Squanchy snorted, letting out a thready laugh.

"You- You think I'm g-gonna squanch over Rick Sanchez?" He said, gripping himself tighter. "Do you know what he'd do to me if he ever found out?"

"The Federation could offer you ample protection-"

"Not from Rick." Squanchy interrupted. "T-that man is a-a squanchin' maniac! If- If ya think he's dead, then he's alive, a-and if ya think yer safe he's coming for ya!"

Gerald sighed, then pulled out his laser pistol, aiming it right at Squanchy's forehead.

"I tried to reason with you Squanchy." Gerald told him in a faux sad tone.

"Go ahead and squanchin shoot me!" Squanchy replied, leaning forward so the barrel of the gun was right against his head. "Better than whatever Rick w-would do! W-why do you think n-no one e-ever squanches with E-Earth?!"

Gerald blinked, then lowered the pistol. Squanchy then registered what he'd said and his face went pale.

"Oh squanch..." he muttered.

"Earth you say." Gerald mused, stowing the gun. "So that's his planet of origin."

He stood up, giving Squanchy a triumphant look before tossing the orange bottle at him.

"Thank you for your cooperation."

He then walked out, leaving Squanchy alone in the room. The second the door closed, Gerald turned to a passing Federation soldier, grabbing his arm.

"Have the science division do a trace for any dark matter energy trails around the planet Earth." He ordered. "We find a common return point, and we find Rick."

"Sir, what about Squanchy?" the bug asked. "You sure it was a good idea to give him the crystal dust?"

"What crystal dust?" Gerald asked, feigning innocence. "All I gave him was a bottle of glitter."

From the other side of the door, the two bugs could hear Squanchy hacking and coughing, spitting up the glitter. Gerald chuckled slightly, then walked down the hall.

"I'm coming for you Sanchez." he declared. "And this time, you'll pay."

…..

Down in the science division, several Federation scientists were hard at work, typing away at monitors and observing scanners in their attempt to locate Rick Sanchez. Gerald walked in, more than a bit annoyed.

"Have we found him yet?" he asked.

"Not yet sir." a bug replied. "His Dark Matter trail is erratic at best. It's as if he's just traveling around for the hell of it without any rhyme or reason."

"Sir!" One perked up, his arm waving in the air. "We've found something interesting! Come here!"

Gerald, as well as a leading scientist he was talking with, rushed over to the insectoid scientist. The screen was flashing numerous trails in all sorts of directions.

"I was going through the most recent dark matter trails and discovered that in the last five years, he has made only one stop to Earth."

His claws tapped against the keyboard, his eyes narrowed as sweat dripped down his brow.

"Enhance." He murmured, the screen closing in to a single solar system.

"Enhance." He murmured again, the screen again closing into a smaller grouping of planets.

"Enhance!" He murmured once more, closing onto a small planet, with vibrant blue waters and white clouds.

"Is that?" Gerald leaned in closely.

"This is Earth," The scientist said calmly, before placing a claw on the screen and smudging it. "And the latest point of dark matter eruption comes from this one settlement."

The screen enhanced again on a small white suburban house that sat quietly on a two way street. Its outside was covered in stucco with a pane glass window in the center and a divided window on the end, beneath a balcony. A satellite sat on its brown shingled roof.

"Hmm, I imagined that it would be something a bit more… out of the ordinary." Gerald mused.

On screen, a man in a green polo shirt walked out. Reaching down to pick up a newspaper before tripping on a small rock and falling onto the lawn. Small black objects then erupted from the ground and sprayed water which soaked the man who ran into the house, crying.

"And I most certainly didn't expect that." Gerald added.

"It could be a clever ruse, sir" The scientist said, "Rick Sanchez is capable of the most advanced security systems in the known multiverse. We could be walking into a complete trap!"

"Even so, this might be our only chance to catch Sanchez." Gerald replied. "We're taking it."

"I'll alert Strike Team 2." He said, turning back to his computer.

"See that you do." Gerald replied. "I will handle Sanchez personally."

…..

"Beth, we really need to get that sprinkle system under control." Jerry said, ringing out his wet clothes, "I'm pretty sure those nozzles want to kill me."

"Well, unless you can think of a better way to water our lawn, the sprinklers stay Jerry." Beth replied coldly, watching as Morty played on the ground with Summer.

"Well, I have a few ideas of using some of that Lawn Depot PVC and hiring some contractors." He said, placing the newspaper on the counter, "I can be a real handyman when I need to be."

"Right, just like you were a plumber when our sink was leaking, or a professional renovator when Morty was born." Beth retorted.

"Daddy breaks things!" Summer blurted out and pointed at Jerry.

"Summer, you're grounded." Jerry said coldly.

"You can't ground me, I didn't do nothing wrong." Summer whined.

"You can't ground her just because she says something you disagree with." Beth argued.

"Right!" Summer cheered.

Jerry just sighed, sinking into his easy chair. As he sat, a loud crash emanated from the living room window. The four residents turned to see a strange, metal canister rolling towards them. It came to a stop right in the middle of the room before exploding into a thick, green gas. The second they inhaled it, their all passed out, Jerry falling out of his chair and Summer falling on top of Morty.

The door opened slowly as Gerald walked in, his face obscured by a large gas mask.

"This was easier than I thought."

…..

Rick sat in a small dive bar on the edge of the galaxy, two dozen shot glasses scattered around him. Another glass was in his hand as he stared at it, his eyes out of focus from the amount of booze he'd consumed. As he downed the glass, his earpiece began buzzing. Fumbling a bit, and nearly poking himself in the eye, Rick hit the call button.

"What?" he demanded

Complete silence from the other line.

"Stupid fucking phone..." Rick groaned, leaning on the bar.

"That's not very nice, Mr. Sanchez." A voice crackled from the phone. "Think if the children heard you."

"Oh great, one of you fucking bugs got into my phone." He grumbled. "Now I need to change the encryption algorithm again. Hope you're happy."

"I'm never happy, Rick, you know that." He said calmly.

"No, I don't. Now get the fuck off the line before I-"

"Hold on one moment." He said, his voice became quieter, "Bring the whiny man over."

Rick felt the small hairs on his neck stand up, his instincts telling him something was wrong. Through the earpiece, Rick heard the sound of something being dragged, then someone being forced to pick up the phone.

"Rick?" Jerry's voice came from the phone. "Rick is that you? Rick help, these bug people came and-"

A laser blast echoed and then completely silence. The sound was enough to pull Rick from his drunken stupor.

"Sorry you had to hear that, Rick." Gerald's voice returned, "But he could've said too much and I wouldn't want that."

"You're on Earth, aren't you?" He demanded. "You're in my daughter's fucking house!"

"What an astute observation Mr. Sanchez." Gerald taunted. "But if you truly were the smartest man in the universe, you would have figured that out before I killed the whiny man."

"What the fuck do you want?!" Rick screamed, slamming his hands on the bar and rising to his feet.

"I want you, Mr. Sanchez. I want you behind bars and begging for me to kill you." Gerald bragged, "Is that too much to ask for?"

"You know what, you better run. Run to the farthest point of the galaxy. And you better pray to whatever fucking deity you believe in that I don't find you, because when I do, I'm gonna-"

"Bring the blonde one over next. She's still unconscious so she won't know what's going on." His voice returned to the phone. "I'm sorry, I didn't get that Mr. Sanchez. Could you repeat that?"

Rick was eerily silent. He straightened up, adjusting his coat, then placed two fingers against the earpiece.

"Don't." he replied, his voice devoid of all emotion. "Don't lay a single appendage on her. I'm coming."

"I'll be here." Gerald replied.

The line went dead, as Rick stood there. For a moment, it was as if he was a statue, then he let out a loud shout, running his arms along the bar and sending all of the glasses flying off of the bar.

"FUCK!" He screamed!

…..

Gerald hung up the landline of the Smith household, closing the small black address book sitting beside it. His mandibles formed a smile as he turned to Beth, who was being held by a Federation agent. She was slowly starting to come to, the effects of the gas finally wearing off.

"What should we do with the girl?" He asked, his voice shrill and annoying.

"Just leave here there." Gerald ordered. "There's nothing she can do to stop us anyway."

Beth shifted slightly in the grip of the soldier before making a grab at his pistol. She grabbed it, immediately shooting one. The insect dropped, gripping his shoulder as Beth turned to Gerald. Gerald raised his hands up slowly as Beth gave an icy stare.

"You have till the count of three to let us go." She said calmly, "One, two-"

Gerald's cheeks grew out and suddenly, a green mucus like slime erupted from his mouth and coated Beth's eyes. His fist came down, hitting her straight in the stomach before grabbing the pistol and hitting her on the back of the head. She fell to the ground, right in front of Summer and Morty, who were beginning to wake up themselves. Gerald then straightened his coat, recovering the gun and checking it for any damage.

"Sir, we-" Another insect spoke up, Gerald rose his hand.

"Take the girl, and tell Frank he's fired."

"Yes sir."

…..

Rick sat in the driver's seat of his ship, currently constructing a large laser rifle as the ship's autopilot made a bee-line for Earth.

"Daddy's coming Beth." Rick muttered, cocking the gun and listening for the hum of it powering on. "Daddy's coming."

…..

On a Federation ship outside the Smith house, an insect communications officer looked at his screen. A small blip appeared, too small for any Federation cruiser. He reached for his headset, adjusting the microphone.

"Gerald, we have visual. He is coming to Earth. I repeat! He is coming to Earth!"

"Excellent, prepare the Nova Beam." Gerald said calmly, "Make sure nothing makes it to the planet surface."

The bug turned to another bug, giving a single nod. The new bug then began typing away, bringing up satellite footage of Rick's ship. With a few more keystrokes, a red circle surrounded the ship as alien script flashed on the screen.

"Nova beam locked and ready to fire."

The captain of the vessel inserted a key into a panel in front of him, revealing a large yellow and black striped button. Without any hesitation, he slammed his hand onto it, activating the Nova Beam.

The ship hissed as the long ends suddenly pushed together. The center began to climb upwards, a four long pylons coming from the center as electricity ran up and down them. The ship's power core opened up and vents appeared all along the ship as the electricity turned from a deep blue to an orange red. The pylons stopped, the electricity wrapped faster and faster as steam hissed from the vents. A loud, cacophonous boom erupted from it as a beam of white hot energy flew into space.

From his ship, Rick saw the beam of energy and barely had time to even blink before it connected. Everything in his ship fried, electricity dancing along the consoles before blowing up all together. The engines blew as well, followed by the propellers and boosters. The force of the explosion sent the ship careening towards the planet.

…..

Gerald watched from the window of the Smith household as Rick's ship continued its fiery descent before crashing down a mile or so away from the household. With a smile, Gerald brought his communicator up to his mouth.

"We have a confirmed hit." Gerald declared. "Rick Sanchez is dead."

"No!" Beth screamed as she jumped up. "You bug-faced monster! I'll kill you!"

Beth reached around and grabbed his mandibles, his mouth forced open as she drove her knee into his back.

"Yeah!" Summer cried, "Get him, mom!"

Beth then released him, spinning him around quickly and landing a strong punch against Gerald's face. The bug stumbled back, spitting blood.

"That was my father you bast-"

An electrical current ran through Beth's body as another insect held a taser trigger. Her body spasmed before she fell again, Summer and Morty both scrambling to her side.

"Just like her father." Gerald mused, rubbing his face as he stood up. "Blow the house. Make sure no one survives. I want this house off the map. Every map."

…..

At the sight of Rick's crashed ship, Rick pulled himself from the burning remains. His entire body was screaming in pain as he struggled to his feet. He had several broken ribs, but so far, all of his limbs seemed to be in working order.

"Fuck!" he screamed. "FUCK!"

He leaned against the wreckage, trying to regain his breath. As he did, he watched as several Federation ships took off into the sky. Seconds later, there was a loud explosion as a mushroom cloud appeared not far down the street. Rick felt his blood run cold as he saw it.

"No." he gasped.

Forcing himself to forget the pain he was in, Rick ran down the street, his eyes never leaving that cloud of smoke rising in the distance.

"Shit- shit- shit- fuck- fuck- fuck- fuck- no- no- no- no- no- no- FUCK!"

He round the corner, coming closer to the house as his desperation continued building.

"BETH!" He screamed, "Where are you?! BETH!"

He could smell the smoke now. He was getting closer until he could finally see the burning building. He ran right through the broken front door, searching for any sign of his family.

"BETH!" he screeched, fighting back tears. "SWEET-"

He cut off when he reached the living room. There, lying in the center of the room, was Beth. Her body was charred, curled around the bodies of both Morty and Summer as if she had been trying to shield them from the blast. He fell to his knees, a torrent of emotions flooding his mind. He put his face in his hands, trying to keep the tears from flowing.

"Fuck!" he shouted, "Calm down! Shit! Shit! Fuck! Calm down!"

He kept repeating the same words over and over again, cursing out the world, himself, and those damning emotions he couldn't keep down. Just as he felt that he might drown in his own suffering, a small sob pulled him from his emotional breakdown. His head jolted up, then he looked down at Beth's body. From her arms, a small hand was moving, another sob echoing forth. Rick lurched forward, turning Beth so she was on her back, releasing Summer's body and Morty. The little boy coughed, tears in his eyes as he looked up at Rick.

"Gampa..." Morty hiccupped.

Rick immediately grabbed the boy, pulling him into a tight hug, finally letting the tears flow freely.

"H-hey buddy." Rick said softly. "It's okay. Grampa's got you."

Morty cried into Rick's shoulder, the man just petting his brown hair as he stood up, getting both of them out of the burning house.

"Grampa's got you." He repeated. "You're not alone anymore Morty. Grampa's here."


End file.
